Narrative:

This was a classic case of cockpit distrs with the additional factor of an aircraft I was not used to flying. I was filling in as captain for another corporation. I have lots of time in this model but all the airplanes I normally fly have an altitude alerter. This one does not so we use the ADF compass rose as a reminder. In this instance it was set correctly to 4000' which was our assigned altitude. It was the coplts leg, flying from the right seat. We were climbing to 4000' and on a heading to intercept a victor arwy. He thought we should have intercepted the arwy by now and made a comment to me in that regard. So I had the low en route chart out and was rechking the right etc. The environmental system was on his side of the cockpit. It had been inadvertently set to the automatic mode which did not work properly and was pwring out an incredible amount of heat. My copilot, who was flying the aircraft, was trying to cool the cabin down and was baffled as to why he couldn't get it cooler. While all this was occurring a passenger stuck his head in the cockpit and asked if we could fly over a well known university at our destination. No sooner had our passenger removed his head from the cockpit than another passenger patted my copilot on the arm and began to call his name to get his attention. After repeated attempts he signaled that he was too busy and about that time discovered that the environmental was on automatic which he knew didn't work properly and therefore switched over to manual and began to cool the cabin down. We found out later the second passenger was trying to tell him that the cabin was too hot. During all this I think I remember calling our '3 for 4' but the next thing we knew the controller very calmly said maintain 4000'. We both looked at the altimeter and it was at 5500'. Nothing else was said by the controller so there must not have been a conflict. I pride myself on my cockpit discipline which includes a sterile cockpit below 10000'. I should have waited to rechk the assigned victor arwy on the chart. Especially when I realized he was distraction by the environmental problem. I feel like I have my regular passengers trained pretty well. I think these should probably be gently instructed on the importance of not disturbing the crew, at critical times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING CLIMB.

Narrative: THIS WAS A CLASSIC CASE OF COCKPIT DISTRS WITH THE ADDITIONAL FACTOR OF AN ACFT I WAS NOT USED TO FLYING. I WAS FILLING IN AS CAPT FOR ANOTHER CORPORATION. I HAVE LOTS OF TIME IN THIS MODEL BUT ALL THE AIRPLANES I NORMALLY FLY HAVE AN ALT ALERTER. THIS ONE DOES NOT SO WE USE THE ADF COMPASS ROSE AS A REMINDER. IN THIS INSTANCE IT WAS SET CORRECTLY TO 4000' WHICH WAS OUR ASSIGNED ALT. IT WAS THE COPLTS LEG, FLYING FROM THE R SEAT. WE WERE CLBING TO 4000' AND ON A HDG TO INTERCEPT A VICTOR ARWY. HE THOUGHT WE SHOULD HAVE INTERCEPTED THE ARWY BY NOW AND MADE A COMMENT TO ME IN THAT REGARD. SO I HAD THE LOW ENRTE CHART OUT AND WAS RECHKING THE R ETC. THE ENVIRONMENTAL SYS WAS ON HIS SIDE OF THE COCKPIT. IT HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY SET TO THE AUTO MODE WHICH DID NOT WORK PROPERLY AND WAS PWRING OUT AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF HEAT. MY COPLT, WHO WAS FLYING THE ACFT, WAS TRYING TO COOL THE CABIN DOWN AND WAS BAFFLED AS TO WHY HE COULDN'T GET IT COOLER. WHILE ALL THIS WAS OCCURRING A PAX STUCK HIS HEAD IN THE COCKPIT AND ASKED IF WE COULD FLY OVER A WELL KNOWN UNIVERSITY AT OUR DEST. NO SOONER HAD OUR PAX REMOVED HIS HEAD FROM THE COCKPIT THAN ANOTHER PAX PATTED MY COPLT ON THE ARM AND BEGAN TO CALL HIS NAME TO GET HIS ATTN. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS HE SIGNALED THAT HE WAS TOO BUSY AND ABOUT THAT TIME DISCOVERED THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL WAS ON AUTO WHICH HE KNEW DIDN'T WORK PROPERLY AND THEREFORE SWITCHED OVER TO MANUAL AND BEGAN TO COOL THE CABIN DOWN. WE FOUND OUT LATER THE SEC PAX WAS TRYING TO TELL HIM THAT THE CABIN WAS TOO HOT. DURING ALL THIS I THINK I REMEMBER CALLING OUR '3 FOR 4' BUT THE NEXT THING WE KNEW THE CTLR VERY CALMLY SAID MAINTAIN 4000'. WE BOTH LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER AND IT WAS AT 5500'. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID BY THE CTLR SO THERE MUST NOT HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY COCKPIT DISCIPLINE WHICH INCLUDES A STERILE COCKPIT BELOW 10000'. I SHOULD HAVE WAITED TO RECHK THE ASSIGNED VICTOR ARWY ON THE CHART. ESPECIALLY WHEN I REALIZED HE WAS DISTR BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROB. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE MY REGULAR PAXS TRAINED PRETTY WELL. I THINK THESE SHOULD PROBABLY BE GENTLY INSTRUCTED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT DISTURBING THE CREW, AT CRITICAL TIMES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.